Russians damning Goa's image: MLAs

Aug 01, 2012, 07:13 IST
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Agencies

Claim the rising clout of Russian tourists is putting off visitors from other countries

The mushrooming of dance bars and the overwhelming influence of the Russian Cyrillic script in Goa’s coastal belt, including in temples, is damning the image of the state, legislators yesterday said in the state assembly.

Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai said the increasing influence and clout of Russian tourists was putting off tourists of other nationalities in Goa. “Even some temple donation boxes have Russian inscription. No one knows what they say there (in signages in Cyrillic). It could be about food, drugs and the third thing I do not want to talk about here,” Sardesai said.

Representation Pic

Sardesai also said that the north Goan coastal village of Morjim was emerging as an enclave for Russian tourists. “When Russians come to a place, Germans and British tourists leave. This shouldn’t be allowed to happen,” he said. Legislator from the ruling BJP Michael Lobo said that dance bars had mushroomed in the coastal tourism hub of Calangute. “These are restaurants and bars where girls are made to dance by paying money. This is giving Goa a bad name,” Lobo said.